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As peace talks continue, the most dangerous city in Ukraine is desperate for a break from drones.

Kherson, a Ukrainian city on the frontline of the conflict with Russia for three years, has more reasons than others to want to see an end to it. They are wary of talks because they have experienced occupation and constant attacks after Russian forces were pushed out.

Serhiy (64), a security guard, is lying in a hospital with his foot bandaged. He claimed he was on his way to work as a security guard, when he was struck by a grenade that was dropped by a drone operated by Russian forces.

He refused to reveal his family name, and asked that his face be hidden, for fear of retribution from Russian forces.

It will be constant terror and constant shelling. There is no way to escape.

U.S. negotiators and Russian negotiators met in Saudi Arabia Monday to discuss a 30-day suspension of attacks on each other's infrastructure. They also discussed a wider ceasefire.

Residents say that the city once had a population of nearly 300,000. Now, it is only 60,000. Residents claim that Russian forces held and tortured a large number of people between March 2022 and November 2022. Residents say that the Russians were forced to leave by a Ukrainian counteroffensive, despite their denials of allegations of abuse against civilians. Now they are bombarding relentlessly on the other side of the river.

DANGER OVERHEAD

Kherson, Ukraine's most dangerous town, is the largest settlement within the range of Russian artillery or battlefield drones.

Serhiy remembered seeing the drone that struck him in his hospital room. Staff asked not to reveal the location for fear of provoking new Russian attacks.

Serhiy told the story: "I jumped toward a tree but it tore my foot off, tore everything off."

Ihor was the 30-year-old bearded man in bed two. He was also hit by a grenade that fell from a drone. In his case, it happened as he was walking along the street to try and find a signal, because Russian attacks damaged cellphone masts.

He wanted the ceasefire also to work. He said: "I don’t want to see other people brought to hospital in this condition." He was pointing to his broken leg that was being held together with metal rods.

Ihor, a man who declined to reveal his family name, said: "We are confident that Trump will bring peace this year as he has promised."

OleksandrProkudin, the governor of Kherson, said that there are 600 to 700 drone attacks per week in the city.

He said that the Russian drone operators operating on the opposite bank terrorized the population. He said that they regularly spot civilians as they go about their daily lives, using their onboard cameras. They then attack them. Russia denies that civilians were deliberately targeted in the conflict.

Maksym Dak, a Kherson bus driver aged 38, wears a flak jacket, helmet and a flak jacket because of the Russian drone threat.

Dyak reported that the vehicle he drove had been struck by drone-dropped grenades ten times. He was behind the wheel of the vehicle for five of these. The plywood sheet that was used to cover the blown out side window on the bus is still driving, even though drones are buzzing above.

He said, "It is very frightening, especially when there are small children in the bus."

Viktor Korolenko, the chief doctor at the hospital, said that the area where the two injured men were being treated had been struck 21 times since November 20, 2022.

Korolenko stated that his doctors were suffering from burnout due to the constant bombardment. He added that many of the staff members had to relocate to the hospital because their homes had been destroyed. However, he intended to remain in Kherson.

Residents, including many elderly people, bought vegetables and dried fish at a market in the centre of the city last week despite social media warnings that a drone was flying nearby.

Tetiana Kudas said that the situation in the city had recently become more dangerous. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the city should be given over to Russia as part of any peace agreement.

She said that they were bombing Kherson even more. Her voice was choked with emotion, as she described how she preferred to risk her life in Kherson rather than go somewhere where she might be treated like a stranger.

She said, "I'll stay on my own land and whatever happens will happen." (Reporting and editing by Philippa Feletcher; additional reporting by Viktoria Lazina, Valentyn irenko, Leonardo Benassatto, and Viktoria Ogirenko)

(source: Reuters)